July 28, 2017:

Long Dry Spell. We all have them. Life gets in the way of your favorite hobby--whether it’s writing, crocheting, reading… but the pull is always there. Eventually, you drift back. Sometimes, it helps to take a mini-sabbatical. Often times, you return refreshed and can look at your current WIP with fresh eyes. That’s what happened after two weeks of no structured writing. I returned last night and was able to put a fresh spin on a tired section of the plot. We’ve all heard it’s good to exercise the opposite side of your brain when things get stale, so I’m ready to jump back in. And during this long dry spell, I was beginning to get overwhelmed, I let life overshadow my writing goals. Here’s how I got back on track: I made a list of what I need to accomplish (regarding writing) and then prioritized it. I reasoned that since series one of the Baker Manor books is under consideration, and especially since I listed in the synopsis that series two is in second draft form, that should be my number-one priority. It wasn’t hard to, then, decide on number two: the sequel to the book currently under contract. Number three: the outline for the third in the series on Baker Manor - again, especially since I said there was one in the synopsis, (there is, but most of it is still in my mind). That’s it. Short list. Do-able. Here are some guidelines for getting back on track:

Ø  Make a list of goals

Ø  Prioritize the list

Ø  Pick the top three (keep it short or else the list, itself, will overwhelm)

Ø  Focus on the list. Mark the items off when completed. Add the next item to the list

Ø  Basically, keep two lists - only add to the secondary list, holding to only three items on the main one. This little trick works best for me--

Okay, back to number one on the list.